Toast to the Coast

In the early years, there were no more than 10 restaurants and there were no tents; it grew from a simple backyard party to THE most anticipated fundraising event on the Coast.  Now the event hosts over 30 restaurants and we have auction tents, an enormous restaurant tent, and art exhibits.  It has been voted best fundraiser on the Coast by Mississippi Coast Magazine.

Come hungry and savor the incredible cuisine of our remarkable local chefs and caterers who offer their time and talent.  Throughout the evening, the Silent Auction features a myriad of fun and intriguing items generously donated by businesses, artisans and merchants from the Coast and surrounding areas.  Some of the exciting items that have been offered in the Silent Auction are: a birthday party at Dipady Do Children’s Spa; a baseball hat from the Master’s golf course in Augusta, Georgia signed by Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning; a custom made dog house; a golf cart; monogrammed custom twin beds with camouflage bedding, and too-many-to-mention pieces of gorgeous artwork, spa packages, photography portraits, jewelry, and so much more.

After dinner, the stage lights up with our spirited Live Auction.  Raise your paddles high for vacation packages, orthodontics, catered events and other exciting items.  Several of the most popular items have included: A New Orleans Getaway…Four Club Level, 50 yard line, Saints tickets with dinner at Galatoire’s and a Windsor Court Hotel suite package; Dinner and Adventure Cruise aboard the Corsair in Orange Beach; 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Boston Whaler; a fun-filled week in Key West; Bayou Mallini Progressive Dinner Party; Orthodontics Package; Private Cruise on the Showdown; Bacchus on the Beach Dinner Party; and a Mountain House getaway in North Carolina.

Toast has always been an evening filled with music and dancing.  Past performers have included Irma Thomas, Marcia Ball, Deacon John and the Ivories, Bucktown Allstars, Vince Vance and the Valiants, and The Boogeymen.

“One of the most exceptional aspects of Toast to the Coast is its ‘Children in the Arts’ program,” claims Kathleen Theriot, five-time Toast Chair.  This program was started in the late 1980’s by a dynamic Coast woman, Isleta Braun, who wanted to get school-age children involved in art.  Children from all over the Coast submit their artwork, which is then judged by a prominent professional artist.  Winners receive $100 and are invited to attend a free workshop put on by local artists at the Gail Keenan Art Center where their work is displayed after it is displayed at Toast to the Coast.

For over three decades this event has been a great party for a great cause.  Coast Episcopal School, located just north of Pass Christian on Espy Avenue, teaches toddlers through sixth grade and offers students an unmatched educational experience that nurtures students and gives them ample opportunities for growth academically, physically, spiritually, and emotionally in and outside the classroom.  Along with our daily academia, children are enriched with our science lab and our exceptional art, music, and foreign language programs.  Coast Episcopal provides such exciting opportunities as field trips to the Appalachian Trail and Camp McDowell.

Come celebrate this wonderfully festive evening that pays tribute to all that’s glorious and unique about living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and at the same time know that your support is ensuring the excellence of Coast Episcopal School will not only continue but also grow stronger and more vibrant in the years to come.

The Children in the Arts contest is a unique event highlighting the talents of fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students in public, private, and parochial schools along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  The inspiration behind the Children in the Arts Contest is to stimulate the creative potential of our young children and to bring to the public an awareness of the importance of involving children in the arts.

All children’s artwork from local participating schools will be displayed and judged at Coast Episcopal School’s annual fundraiser, Toast to the Coast.  Following this, all artwork will be on exhibit at Coast Episcopal School’s Gail Keenan Art Center.  All first, second, and third place winners from schools participating in Children in the Arts will be invited to attend a day long art workshop and reception.  The workshop is a thank you to our participants and will be conducted by local artists.